Iroquoian Women: The Gantowisas
provides a thorough, organized look at the social, political, economic, and religious roles of women among the Iroquois, explaining their fit with the larger culture.
Gantowisas
means more than simply «woman» –
gantowisas
is «woman acting in her official capacity» as fire-keeping woman, faith-keeping woman, gift-giving woman; leader, counselor, judge; Mother of the People. This is the light in which the reader will find her in
Iroquoian Women
. Barbara Alice Mann draws upon worthy sources, be they early or modern, oral or written, to present a Native American point of view that insists upon accuracy, not only in raw reporting, but also in analysis.
is the first book-length study to regard Iroquoian women as central and indispensable to Iroquoian studies.